I want to protest in the strongest possible terms Premier Doug Ford’s use of the notwithstanding clause to set aside a court decision regarding the changing of the size of Toronto city council.

The notwithstanding clause is a mechanism which allows a government to stop an out-of-control judiciary from acting in a fashion contrary to the well-established wish of the people. It is a failsafe democratic trip-wire. The Ontario Progressive Conservative government wants to use it as a manoeuvre to enforce what is at best right this moment a capricious decision affecting the welfare of Torontonians.

The issue of the size of Toronto council has not been debated in any fashion in a public forum. The wish of the people is not clear on the issue and will not be until a process of investigation and discussion and perhaps even voting in the form of a referendum has been followed.

The behaviour of the Ontario PC government is high-handed and deplorable. It smacks of adolescent bullying and were the deeper issues here not so serious to the fabric of our fragile democracy, the antics of Premier Ford would be laughable. Ontarians need only look outside our Canadian borders… particularly to the south… to see what happens when political tribalism and divisive governance gain control of public discourse.

I say to our MPP, Vic Fedeli… to Premier Ford and all the rest of that majority caucus… in the name of democracy and in the name of decency, stop your foolhardy behaviour. Think about the interests of the citizens of this province, and bring your individual instincts for fair play into focus before you act like trained seals in an unfortunate side-show, and bring our democratic tent down around all our ears. Please.

Frank Petruzella

North Bay

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